Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Secondary Schools
The College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Studies, University College Cork is delighted to offer teachers exclusive access to the Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Schools. Developed in UCC School of History by an experienced teacher and historian, the 8 Teaching Units cover a range of themes and topics from the 1845-1923 period, adaptable to the needs of Junior Cycle, Transition Year and Senior Cycle students.
Each Teaching Unit includes a Document Pack containing a selection of original maps created for the Atlas of the Irish Revolution. Complemented by a selection of rare documents and images from the National Library of Ireland and the Irish Examiner archive, these highly visual maps offer students of all levels and abilities access to the landscapes of the revolutionary past.
The accompanying lesson plans and student worksheets will guide teachers in the practical use of this original material in the classroom in order to consolidate learning, reinforce key skills and ignite in their students a passion for exploring and learning about the past.
Rationale: The Value of Using Maps in the Junior and Senior Cycle Classroom
There are wide-ranging possibilities for the application of the visual and written material from the Atlas of the Irish Revolution in the post-primary classroom. While the Atlas most obviously complements the junior and senior cycle History curricula, it also offers enormous potential for interdisciplinary teaching. In line with current key statements of strategy in education, the Atlas of the Irish Revolution resource packs give students the tools to research and analyse data, solve problems, enhance their literacy and numeracy skills, and use Information and Communications Technology to create, collaborate and communicate.
Junior Cycle
The Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resource Packs
- Present historical content in a stimulating and visual way
- Encourage students to participate actively in their learning
- Encourage the development of communication skills, creativity, information management and collaborative skills
- Allow students to identify the causes and consequences of the revolutionary period in their own local area, thus making history more real
- Exemplify ‘the job of the historian’ in researching and collating data to present patterns of cause and effect
- Are highly relevant to the Irish History Topics studied in Strand 2: The History of Ireland
Transition Year
The Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resource Packs
- Could potentially be used for TY units such as History, Geography, Gender Studies, Local Studies, Cultural Studies, Mapping, Heritage and Digital Humanities
- Present maps, images and documents as springboards for student-led research
- Promote interdisciplinary and self-directed learning
- Encourage research and critical thinking skills, which are transferable to all aspects of the Transition Year curriculum
- Foster an interest and investment in students’ local community and its history
Senior Cycle
The Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resource Packs
- Contain material relevant to the Later Modern Ireland Topics for Study: Movements for Social and Political Reform 1870-1914 (LMI Topic 2) and The Pursuit of Sovereignty and the Impact of Partition 1914-1949 (LMI Topic 3)
- Guide the students in ‘Working with the Evidence’ and honing the procedural skills of the historian
- Enable students to analyse the pitfalls and possibilities of statistical data as a way of knowing, preserving experience and analysing patterns of cause and effect
- Offer a wealth of information and a large selection of primary and secondary source material that may prove useful as a source for a Research Study
